Lebanon

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MEPI in Lebanon

In partnership with local organizations and activists, MEPI supports the development of the next generation of civil society, governmental, and academic leaders in Lebanon. These partnerships have improved professionalism, transparency, and accountability in all levels of government, and, in turn, this has boosted Lebanese citizens' confidence in government institutions. MEPI will continue to partner with Lebanon's many civil society organizations to heighten their ability to influence decisions important to the people of Lebanon.

Featured Highlights

Public opinion research provides political parties and activists’ with insight into constituents’ perceptions and needs, and enhances policymakers’ abilities to respond to voters. Elected officials at all levels of government utilize public opinion data to improve citizens’ access to services and to better engage constituents, which is essential to increasing political participation.

The sixth cohort of the MEPI-funded Civic Education Leadership Fellows (CELF) visited the U.S. Department of State in Washington. The 13 Fellows – all university professors from the Middle East and North Africa – are completing three-month residencies at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

In 2012, over 5400 high school and university students from the Middle East and North Africa competed for spots on the MEPI-supported sixth annual INJAZ Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs Competition. Seventy five students secured finalist spots for the competition which took place in November 2012 in Doha, Qatar.

Vital Voices’ MEPI-funded “Policy-Advocates for Women’s Issues in the Middle East and North Africa” project mentored teams of women activists and provided them training in advocacy, social media outreach, and project management over the past two years. Each country team selected a public policy issue identified as a priority and implemented nationwide campaigns to lobby for needed reforms.

On October 25, 2012 Vital Voices hosted a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. at which participants shared successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the MEPI-funded Policy Advocates for Women Issues in the Middle East and North Africa project.

Through its Social Media|Social Action (SM|SA) project, MEPI partner IREX recently issued a solicitation to provide small grants to youth-serving non-governmental organizations (NGOs) interested in leveraging media tools and approaches to increase the outcomes and impact of their organizations’ activities.

As of September 30, 2012 (the end of Fiscal Year 2012), MEPI awarded an unprecedented number of grants to international and indigenous organizations working throughout the Middle East and North Africa region. These grants reflect a large increase in civil society activities in MENA, and strong demand for MEPI support, especially in countries that recently experienced democratic transitions.

American University of Beirut (AUB) graduated five students participating in the MEPI-funded Tomorrow’s Leadership Scholarship Program, which offers students American-accredited, four-year undergraduate liberal arts degrees. The program also provides an intensive focus on building students’ leadership skills and ability to effect positive change.

A total of 118 undergraduate students from across the Middle East and North Africa participated in the 2012 MEPI Student Leaders Program in Washington, D.C. The program brings civically engaged students with outstanding academic achievements from universities throughout the region to the U.S. to study civil society, democratic participation, and leadership.

In June 2012, MEPI partner Soliya convened an international summit during which thirty-four Fellows ages 20 to 30, from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East met to work together towards the betterment of their communities.

Recent electoral events in the MENA region have led to calls for greater transparency and accountability. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the Arab Region Parliamentarians Against Corruption are working on the MEPI-funded “Enhancing Transparency in Political Finance in the Arab Region” project to increase stakeholders’ awareness on issues relating to political finance.

After extensive training in media production and community engagement provided by U.S.-based NGO Soliya and MEPI, 110 young civil society leaders throughout the Middle East and North Africa are harnessing the power of new media technologies to promote informed and constructive discourse on reform topics.

MEPI's Lebanon Alumni Association organized its first annual networking dinner at The Rotana Hotel in Beirut. Over 100 alumni of MEPI projects and leadership exchange programs attended the event and had the opportunity to network, discuss upcoming activities, and meet the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Beirut and other U.S. diplomats who were in attendance.

MEPI is pleased to announce the G8 Broader Middle East North Africa (BMENA) Initiative partnership with the U.S. –based NGO the League of Women Voters. The BMENA Initiative is a multilateral effort to promote cooperation between the G-8 and BMENA governments and civil society to advance reform efforts throughout the region.

From March 20-21, the Institute of International Education’s “E-Mediat” project, funded by MEPI, provided training on new media skills to Lebanese and Jordanian businesses and non-governmental organizations. The classes provided approximately 60 participants with advanced social media training.

MEPI’s 2012 Leaders for Democracy Fellows (LDF) met with Secretary Clinton on May 29th, following their participation in the Civil Society Strategic Dialogue town hall meeting earlier in the month. The Secretary praised the fellows’ reform-oriented activism and work in advancing civil society during an unprecedented time in the Arab world.

In Lebanon, public discourse on gender-based violence and abuse is considered taboo. Through its partnership with Catholic Relief Services, MEPI is supporting a group of Lebanese NGOs, including the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence against Women (LECORVAW), that are working to empower women through training and advocacy.

In partnership with Technology Sarl, MEPI grantee Al Feker wal-Hayet, a Lebanese NGO, is training 45 Lebanese women, from Al-Menieh region North of Tripoly to establish their own e-businesses and become income generators for their families. The IT training series comes as a first phase of the MEPI grant project “Women Economic Empowerment with E-Commerce”.

MEPI’s 2011 Leaders for Democracy Fellows met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on June 3. The Secretary assured the Fellows of U.S. Government support for democracy and human rights across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and praised them for their dedication and hard work.

MEPI alumna Lina Alameddine, president of Partnership Center for Development and Democracy, spent the past few months working to achieve a simple yet important goal - ensuring that the Lebanese “white bread,” a staple in Lebanon, is healthy and safe for consumption.

The Lebanon Chapter of the MEPI Alumni Network held its semi-annual networking event attended by over 90 alumni, including prominent business executives, chairmen of NGOs, and leading members of civil society organizations. The meeting gave alumni an opportunity to meet U.S. Embassy representatives and discuss their accomplishments over the past months.

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